Chahan rushed thousands of miles to help, and eight thousand elites came out of Bowl City, doubled the road, and went straight east to Caozhou.

After passing through Huaiqing Road, crossing Weihui Road, and entering Daming Road, it took only four days to drive more than 300 miles. On this day, when we crossed the Qishui River and crossed the Wei River, and when we were about to reach Lijiadao, a Caozhou messenger came to the army. ——Lijiadao is almost to Caozhou, and the distance between the two places is less than 200 miles.

"Report, Caozhou is in a hurry! Since the red thief Zhao Guobu surrounded our city three days ago, the offensive has been very fierce for several days, day and night, and our army has suffered heavy casualties, and it is almost impossible to hold on. ”

"When did you get out of town?"

"Last night's three watches."

Chahan looked at the sky, and it was just twilight.

The city that went out of the third watch last night will arrive at Lijiadao at dusk today. What does this mean? It shows that the messenger traveled 200 miles in the middle of the night in one day. What does this mean? It shows that the battle situation in Caozhou must be very fierce, and the situation must have reached a very critical juncture.

"How many red thieves are there in the siege? Is it Zhao Guoqin? ”

"There were not many red thieves besieging the city at the beginning, about one or two thousand; On the night of the siege, a large army arrived. By the next morning, it was roughly estimated that nearly 5,000 people had surrounded our city. There are many flags, and Zhao Guo's handsome flag is also among them, and the drum horn is shaking the sky. When the villain went out of the city last night, there were a lot more red thieves, and the specific amount was known, only to see the fire soaring to the sky, and the camps were connected, stretching for ten miles. ”

"With so many red thieves besieging the city, how did you kill them?"

Chakhan Timur did not ask this question to doubt the identity of the messenger, but wanted to judge where the main force of the Yan army was?

After all, "soldiers are not tired of cheating", you can't judge the number of enemies just from the number of camps, and it is also possible that the Yan army is cheating? There are not so many people besieging the city, but it gives you an illusion. While giving the illusion, the main force is actually ambushed on the road from Lijiadao to Caozhou. The 8,000 men led by Chakhan Timur had been marching for four days in succession, and once they were ambushed in the middle of the road, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Hearing that Caozhou was in an emergency, he didn't think about relieving the siege first, but considered the stability of his army. What is a veteran? What is experienced? This is the veteran, this is the experience. Chakhan Timur really lived up to his reputation, knowing that impatience and rashness were taboo for soldiers, even if the military situation was as urgent as fire, he still maintained his sanity and was very steady.

"The villain disguised, went down to the city at night, and took the trail, it was dark, and there was only one villain, so it was easy to move, and the thief army was not alarmed, and he was able to sneak through."

Chakhan Timur was silent.

Some generals were impatient and shouted: "Caozhou is in danger and urgently needs our army to rescue." What is the big marshal still hesitating? Hurry up and give your order! The last general is willing to be a striker, go and solve the siege first! ”

"When you are stable in case of big things, why should you be anxious? The red thief is cunning, and there is a famous Pan Xian in his army, who has always been resourceful, known as a wise man, and is good at using dangerous strategies. Don't be careless! ”

Li Weixin thought so.

He knew Chahan's thoughts, understood what he was worried about, interjected and asked the messenger, and said, "You have traveled all the way, and there are red thieves along the road from Caozhou to Lijiadao?" ”

"Except for a few scouts and wandering, I don't see anything."

"The crossing of the Yellow River?"

"It's peaceful."

The main channel of the Yellow River is from west to east, passing through Xuzhou and other places; However, in Lanyang, Henan, a tributary was branched out, winding northward, just passing through the southern part of the Daming Road, dividing Caozhou and Lijiadao into north and south. Although this tributary is not as deep as the main channel, it is not easy to cross.

"What do you think, lord?"

Chakhan Timur paced twice with his hands in his hands, turned back to the place, stroked his beard and pondered deeply, and only after a while did he speak: "Pan Xian's second wise man, Zhao Guo is handsome, there is no one in the Red Thief Army, they will not know that our reinforcements are coming." The Yellow River is dangerous, how can it not send a soldier to garrison? There will be deception among them! ”

"However, if you don't take the Yellow River in the territory of the Daimyo Road, you must divert to the south, cross the main road of the Yellow River, and then detour to the north, which will take more than 300 miles. Our army has been marching rapidly for several days, even if we can still march at this speed, even if the red thieves have not been able to capture Caozhou three days later, but when the battle is engaged, I am afraid that we will also become the end of the strong crossbow, and it will be difficult for the thief army to be the opponent. ”

This northward tributary of the Yellow River is still relatively long, going all the way to Dongping Road, crossing the Huitong River, and reaching the vicinity of Jingmen Station, so it is obviously impossible to detour north. If you want to make a detour, you can only go south. Entering Henan to the south, there is a local garrison of Chakhan Timur to respond, which is relatively safe and secure.

"It's a long way to take a detour, so it's definitely not going to work."

"What does the lord mean?"

Chahan thought about it for a long time and made a decision: "The brave wins when they meet on a narrow road!" At this time, the detour will be half the effort! There is no way to take a detour, but to force a crossing. ......, someone came, and ordered the horse battalion to select the elite to go first, cross the Yellow River on the same day, and send it for me. Military order: It is necessary to find out the enemy situation on the other side of the Yellow River. ”

The "Horse Riding Battalion" is a special scout camp under the command of Chakhan Timur.

"Horseback first. What about the main force? ”

"The main force does not have to march tonight, rest on the spot, recuperate, and wait for the battle to cross the river!" When Chahan had given the order, he asked the messenger, "You have traveled two hundred miles in the middle of the night, and you can still eat enough?" ”

"The villain has nothing else to do, only to be strong, and it is not a problem to travel another two hundred miles."

"Good! The military situation is urgent, you don't want to stay longer. Go back and tell your general, and say that the old man is willing to make an appointment with your general. ”

"Meet for what?"

"Within two days, I will go to the city of Caozhou! If it doesn't expire, it is the old man who breaches the contract, and he will cut his hair and act as the head of the army, and Caozhou City will be abandoned by your general. And if I arrive, but the city is lost, it is for your general to breach the contract, and the old man's military law is ruthless, and he will be beheaded! ”

"No!"

"Go ahead. ......, the hour was getting late, and the armies were stationed separately. ”

The generals listened to the order and promised in unison. They had their own heralds to give orders to the battalions.

The messenger did not take a rest, but changed two good horses, took a bag of water, begged for a few cakes, and hurried back to the city.

In a short time, the horses' hooves were obtained, and more than a hundred people rode lightly and with long arrows, followed closely behind, and flew out of the camp in the twilight. These are the elites selected by the "Treading Horse Battalion" to cross the river. The rest of the battalions, after arranging a vigilance, were also stationed separately, buried in pots and cooked food, and prepared to rest under the orders of their respective commanders.

On a flat ground of the Chinese army, a few soldiers with quick hands and feet quickly set up a tent for Chakhan Timur. Li Weixin, Wang Baobao and other cronies and self-absorbed people followed Chahan into the tent.

Sit down.

Chakhan Timur looked around and said with a smile: "After driving for a long time, you must have been hungry." Come, bring some water first, and ask all gentlemen and generals to wash their faces; Then let the man serve the meal quickly. Rest tonight, don't rush to march, you can cook a few good dishes. ......, Mr. Li, you have worked hard with the army, and you have suffered for the past few days, and you are a little thin when you look at your face. Eat a good meal later! ”

The twilight was deep, and the tent was dark. The soldiers first lit torches and candles, and then were ordered to bring warm water and ask everyone to wash their faces. After washing your face, serve tea and pour water. Two more clever soldiers brought hot water as usual, and went to the boots for Chakhan Timur to soak his feet.

Chakhan Timur commanded again: "Take two more basins of hot water, Mr. Li, Baobao, you also bubble." "In the end, he has been in war for a long time, he is not shocked in the face of chaos, and he has the demeanor of a general. Although Caozhou was in danger, he was still not chaotic, and seemed to be casual on the surface, so as not to shake the morale of the army.

Everyone was relaxing and talking, and the topic was nothing more than the military situation.

While they were talking, the entourage outside the tent reported: "Someone outside the camp asked to see the commander, saying that there was a thief who wanted to offer." ”

"Outside the camp?"

"Yes."

"A thief's trick? ......, does this person have a nameless post? ”

"Nope. However, he claimed to be from Xuzhou. ”

Wang Baobao's heart moved, and said: "Xuzhou people? The Yan thief has just captured Xuzhou, will it be the gentry who escaped from Xuzhou? ......, father, you might as well see it. ”

Chakhan Timur pondered for a moment, nodded, and said, "What Wu'er said is good. And they sent him in to meet him. ”

Soon, a man came in from outside the tent, about forty years old, thin and tall, and his clothes were worn as if they were hanging on a bamboo pole, and his eyes were not big, but he was very attentive.

"Who's coming?"

"The grass people seal Timu and meet Master Pingzhang."

Chakhan Timur's current official position is the Pingzhang political affairs of Henan Province, and the Privy Council of Henan Province, and the imperial history of Shaanxi Xingtai, among which the official title of Pingzhang political affairs in Henan Province is the most noble, so people call him "Pingzhang Master".

"Excuse me, please get up."

Seeing the guests coming, Li Weixin and Wang Baobao stopped soaking their feet, wiped them dry, put on their shoes, sat upright, and listened to the conversation between Chakhan Timur and this person.

Feng Timu got up and stood up, and glanced at Chakhan Timur, who was still soaking his feet, as if he had something to say, but when the words came to his mouth, he swallowed them back into his stomach.

Chakhan Timur noticed his expression, knew that he was dissatisfied with his feet while soaking his feet, and at the same time met guests, and thought: "If you are dissatisfied, you dare not speak, and you are not a brave person." Quietly, he continued, "Fengjun claims to be from Xuzhou, Xuzhou is hundreds of miles away from the Daimyo, why did he abandon his home and come away?" ”

"Home country, home country, there is a country and there is a home. Today, there is a big chaos, and the people are struggling to make a living. A few days ago, Xuzhou also unfortunately fell into the hands of thieves and suffered poison. Although the grass people are white, they know the word loyalty and righteousness, and they are unwilling to succumb to the thief and insult the name of their ancestors, so they abandon their homes and come here to visit friends. ”

"Do you have friends here?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

"Snow Plains Jinghui."

"Snow Plains Jinghui?"

Chakhan Timur seemed to have heard of this name, and turned his eyes to look at Li Weixin. Li Weixin owed a debt and said: "Zen Master Jinghui is a famous master of the Great Ming Road, and he is a disciple of Chu Shi Fanqi. ”

"Snow Field Jinghui", "Jinghui" is the Dharma name of the monk, and "Snow Field" is his character.

It is not that there is only one simple Dharma name. In order to show respect, and probably to distinguish it from other monks with the same Dharma name, when addressing some famous great monks, they often add his character, or his name, or the honorific title given by the people of the time.

For example, another great virtue at that time: Yu'an Zhiji, the Dharma name Zhiji, the number Yu'an; Another example is a great virtue at the end of the Song Dynasty and the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty: the peak of the original wonder, the law name of the original wonderful, because of the fame, people respectfully call him "peak ancient Buddha". Another example is Jing Hui's master Chu Shi Fanqi, like Jing Hui, Chu Shi is also his word.

Chahan Timur couldn't remember who Jinghui was, but when it came to Chu Shi Fanqi, he had already heard his name for a long time, and he immediately couldn't help but be in awe, without saying a word, he first hurriedly ordered his soldiers to wipe his feet, followed by put on his boots, stood up, returned the salute to Feng Timu, and said: "Mr. Yiyi is actually a friend of the disciple of Master Fanqi!" If there is any rudeness, please bear with me, fortunately, don't be surprised! ”

There is a Yuan generation, the most relaguished. Tsakhan Timur was also deeply influenced in this regard, as can be seen from the couplet he wrote in his study from the words of Buddhism. Since the founding of the Yuan Dynasty, although the number of years is not long, there is a way that "the upper part is good, and the lower must be very good", and with the support of the government, the famous monks have of course emerged in endlessly. Nowadays, one of the most famous Zen masters is Chu Shi Fanqi.

Chu Shi Fanqi is the fifth generation disciple of Song monk Dahui Zonggao, he became a monk at the age of nine, and his degree was bought by Zhao Mengfu, and Song Lian once wrote "Tower Ming" for him. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, the famous monk Zhi Qihong said: "The first-rate master of this dynasty is not yet in Chu Shi"; A little later, another famous monk Yi Zhixu also said: "Zen Buddhism has not been heard of since Master Chu Shiqi."

It can be seen that its name is not only important at the time, but also revered later.

Chakhan Timur had this reaction,—— but it was not surprising that he couldn't help but be in awe because Feng Timu was a friend of a disciple of Chu Shi Fanqi.

Feng Timu returned the courtesy, and said in a loud voice: "How dare you." ”

Chahan ordered someone to serve tea, invited him to a seat, and said, "When Mr. comes to Yuanmen in person, he will have something to say." I don't know what to teach me? ”

"The grass people are shallow, ploughing the fields, how dare they teach the master? I took the liberty to come tonight, there was no other reason, just because the villain lived in Xuzhou and couldn't bear to see Sang Zi fall into the hands of thieves, so I came to see the master. ”

Chahan sighed: "The Yan thief is cunning, cunning as a fox, as ruthless as a wolf, in the past he caused trouble in Liaodong, and then in Shandong, and now he will burn the war to Huaisi, causing Xu and Su to fall, and the lives are ruined." The old man is not talented, today he personally mentioned 30,000 elites, and he has come from afar, and he wants to compete with the Yan thief, not only for Jining all the way, but also for Xu and the people! ”

"The old man is mighty, and the young people are all famous; Xiao Deng is a thief, and the people in Shandong and other places are suffering, and they all look up to Wang Shi. The lord came to fight this time, inheriting the heart of heaven and the public opinion of the lower body, which is the so-called 'relieving the people upside down'. Although the villain does not know military affairs, he also knows the time, place, and people, and has the courage to assert it,......。 ”

"How?"

"Master, this battle will be a big victory!"

"Haha, haha. Mr. has lived in Huaisi for a long time, and is a friend of Zen Master Jinghui, he must be very familiar with Huaisi, Daimyo, and Jining, and he is familiar with the place, that is, he is familiar with the geographical advantages, how can he be regarded as ignorant of military affairs? It's too modest! ......, now the old man will fight with the red thief, I don't know what Mr. thinks? ”

This is the second time that Chahan has bluntly asked about the intention of Feng Timu.

Although he respected Chu Shi Fanqi, so he loved the house and Wu, and was also courteous to Feng Timu, but this did not mean that he was willing to chat with Feng Timu. After all, there will be a big war soon, and he is not in the mood for this. After this question, if Feng Timu did not have any substantive suggestions, he planned to send the guest politely.

Feng Timu said: "Gao Jian didn't dare to be. The lord also knows that Xuzhou has been under the jurisdiction of Zhang Taiwei for a long time. Zhang Taiwei is generous and generous, and can be very sympathetic to the people's feelings and love the people. Although the villain is stupid, there is a younger brother who is respected by the villagers, but he is quite famous, and he is known to Taiwei Zhang, so he went to Songjiang Mansion and is now a staff member. ”

"Oh? Excuse me, sir, the name of the clan? ”

"Feng Boyan."

Li Weixin thought for a moment and said, "But Mr. Wanghe? ”

"The number of the villain's brother is Wanghe."

Li Weixin bowed her head and said to Chahan: "This person is a famous man in Xuzhou, and I have heard of his name below. ”

"It turns out that Mr. is not only a friend of a monk, but also a brother of a famous man."

After the city of Xuzhou was broken, the villain abandoned his home and fled, and wanted to go to Songjiang to join the villain, but then Suzhou was broken again, and the road ahead was blocked, so he had to turn to the name, in the name of visiting friends, and really wanted to seek refuge under the wing of Jinghui Zen Master. ......, yesterday, I suddenly received a letter from the villainous brother. ”

"What letter? What is it? ”

"The villain's brother said in the letter, I heard that the old man proposed to go east and galloped to Jining in person, and he wanted to dedicate it to the master."

"Have a plan you want to give to the old man?" Chahan is a little strange, if there is a good plan, why not give it to Zhang Shicheng?

Feng Timu heard the meaning of his words, and took the initiative to explain: "Although Taiwei Zhang is a good person, it is precisely because he is too 'good' that he is a traitor and a villain on the left and right, blocking the way of speech. After the news of the fall of Xu and Su reached Songjiang, the villain brother always wanted to dedicate this plan to Taiwei, but unfortunately he was deceived by slander, and Taiwei failed to accept it. ”

Chakhan Timur became interested and asked, "What is the clever plan to dare to ask?" ”

"Red thieves are rampant today, if you want to cure them, the best strategy is to attack. Therefore, the villain brother thought that if he wanted to eliminate the Yan thief as soon as possible, it was best to ask the master to send an envoy to ride into Zhejiang, reach an alliance with Zhang Taiwei, and join forces with the enemy. The lord is from west to east, and the captain is from south to north, with the prestige of the lord, with the tiger and wolf of western Zhejiang, even if the Deng thief is noisy, how to resist it? It is expected that it will be difficult to parry, and it will be able to catch it in one go! ”

Wang Baobao listened for a long time, and then said: "Although your brother's plan is good, as you said, isn't Zhang Shicheng unwilling to accept it?" What is the use of asking my father to send an envoy to western Zhejiang? ”

"The reason why the captain refuses to accept it is because he is afraid of the master."

Chakhan Timur smiled, nodded to Timur, and said, "Afraid of the old man? What is so frightening about the old man? Having said that, he actually knows that Zhang Shicheng is nothing more than afraid that "it is easy to invite the Buddha and it is difficult to send the Buddha", if he joins forces with Chahan, can this Huaisi area still be saved? If Huaisi is lost, Songjiang Mansion will have no cover, whether it is Chahan or Deng She, it can be driven straight in.

Feng Timu swallowed, did not have the courage to explain this relationship thoroughly, vaguely said, and continued: "Taiwei is afraid of the master, perhaps because he has his own ideas, which is not enough for outsiders, and the grass people dare not speculate. However, in the eyes of the grass brothers, if the old man is willing to put down his body, focus on the overall situation, and take the initiative to make an alliance with Taiwei Zhang, coupled with his internal cooperation, maybe he will change Taiwei's mind ,—— another village. And as long as the master and the captain join forces, the Deng thief is not afraid! ”

Chakhan Timur asked Li Weixin and said, "What does Mr. mean?" ”

"This ancient Warring States vertical and horizontal technique."

"Is it possible?"

"You can give it a try."

Wang Baobao was not happy, stood up, and said loudly: "My father's name is shocking to the world. Since the Red Turban Rebellion, the officers and soldiers have been defeated, and when the thieves are at their peak, both the north and the south are red, and even most of them are in danger! And the imperial court has been able to protect half of the country so far, thanks to his father's bloody struggle and turning the tide. Zhang Shicheng, this salt apprentice, although he descended to me today, he has two ambitions. ......, how could the father put down his body and take the initiative to make an alliance with such a person? ”

Feng Timu didn't know who Wang Baobao was, and Chakhan Timur never introduced him. At this time, listening to Wang Baobao's generous speech, I peeked at it, and saw that this person had sword eyebrows and starry eyes, and his appearance was extraordinary, and he praised in his heart: "What a young hero." However, Wang Baobao's remarks were not taken seriously. However, he knew that since this man could sit in the tent, he would be a confidant of Chahan's relatives, and he did not dare to refute it directly, but only that.

Chakhan Timur stretched out his fingers, lightly buckled the armrest of the bed, muttered for a moment, and said, "Baobao, you sit first." ......, the ancients said: 'Seek big things without informality'. If you plan for great things, what about being loyal to the royal family? He asked Timu and said, "If the old man sends an envoy south, how sure is your brother that this matter will be promoted?" ”

"I dare not say it, there are always five or six points."

"Five or six points sure? The father took the initiative to make a covenant with Shi Cheng, and if he was rejected by Shi Cheng again, wouldn't he be humiliated? Once the news comes out, we must teach the Deng thief to know, and the red thief is bound to be even more noisy! ......, father, this must not be done. ”

"In your opinion, is there a good way to break the thief quickly?"

"This ,......。 My father is proficient in the art of war, and our army is brave and good at fighting. Shandong is narrow, Liaodong is bitterly cold, over time, there will definitely be a problem with the logistics supply of the Deng thief, and at that time, with the authority of the father, only 10,000 people will be able to break the thief! ”

Chakhan Timur sighed inaudibly, he didn't know what Wang Baobao said, but the rear was unstable.

Although Polo Timur was defeated, Datong was still in his hands; Although Li Siqi is in charge of the pass, Zhang Liangbi is ready to move. These two people are not good at stubble, and if they can't completely subdue them in one day, they will be like a man's back, restless, how can they go all out to the east? In fact, Chahan has long considered this issue and thought: "Is it possible to join forces with Zhang Shicheng"? - Destroy Shandong Qiangyan first; After that, they went all out to the north and west to completely stabilize the rear; Finally, slowly go south. In this way, the general trend of the world can be determined.

——, his earliest plan was to pack up Polo Timur first, settle the rear, and then go all out to the east to exterminate the Yan army. However, the First Battle of Jining sounded the alarm bell for him. He suddenly discovered that Deng She's threat was greater than that of Polo Timur and Zhang Liangbi combined! As a result, the focus of the entire strategy has involuntarily shifted from "being inside" to "outside" first.

In major matters, Chahan has always dared to make decisions, and after a little thought, he made a decision and said: "Don't hide it, Mr., the old man has long intended to communicate with Zhexi. Today, if there is a gentleman and a brother who is willing to be the internal response, it will all be according to what Mr. said! ”

"What do you mean, sir?"

"I would like to make a covenant with the Captain." Chakhan Timur got up, pointed to the east outside the tent, and said categorically, "With the Yellow River as an oath and Mount Tai as an alliance, the old man is willing to make an appointment with Taiwei: the two families will attack Yan together." If Taiwei agrees, then after the matter is completed, the Yellow River will be the boundary, Shandong will belong to me, and Xu and Su will return to Taiwei. And the old man is willing to borrow 10,000 elite soldiers and Tai Lieutenant to take Jinling together to eliminate the threat of the Zhu thief to Songjiang. ”

Feng Timu was overjoyed, bowed to the ground, and said: "The lord doesn't care about his private name, he takes state affairs as the priority, and the grass people admire it!" This is really a blessing for the court, and even more for the people of the world! ”

Chakhan Timur paused and said, "Now that the Deng thief army is quite prosperous, you can't take it too quickly. This time, the old man came to the daimyo from afar, and he was not well prepared and it was difficult to fight a decisive battle. If the Taiwei is interested, you can make an appointment, and then send troops at the same time, and attack from both sides, if the main force of the Deng thief blocks me, then the Taiwei can take advantage of the situation to take Xu and Su; If the main force of the Deng thief blocks the captain, then the old man will take advantage of the situation to take Shandong, in short, it will make it a dilemma! ”

"But there is still a difficulty, and the old man needs to think about it."

"What's the difficulty?"

"The reason why Taiwei rejected the strategy of the grass brother is that in addition to being afraid of the master, there is another reason."

"What is the reason?"

"If you go all out to the north, Songjiang will inevitably be empty. Jinling Zhu Yuanzhang has coveted western Zhejiang for a long time, and he is afraid that he will take advantage of the opportunity to make trouble. ”

"What's so hard about that? The old man has 100,000 troops in Henan, as long as the captain is willing to make an alliance with me, when the war comes, the old man will order the Henan garrison to march east together to suppress Zhu Yuanzhang, so that he will not dare to act rashly. ”

"If so, it's a big deal! Excuse me, sir, when do you plan to send an envoy to western Zhejiang? ”

"Sooner rather than later. Wait for the old man to choose a good person, and leave tonight. ”

Feng Timu was happy, and when he was happy, he suddenly remembered something, and he stopped talking.

"What else do you want to say, sir? Why bother, though. ”

"In the past, the red thief was trapped in Xu and Su, and many of the ministers of the two states were forced to surrender to the thief because of helplessness, and there were two of them, and the villain had a good relationship with each other."